


Rating T, Journey

by ChestnutJinx



Series: Writober 2018 [8]
Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, Homophobia, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Rating: T, Road Trips, Sad Ending, Tags Contain Spoilers, fanwriterit, writober2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-12
Updated: 2018-10-12
Packaged: 2019-07-29 11:49:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16263602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChestnutJinx/pseuds/ChestnutJinx
Summary: Sungjong finally came out to his parents, who didn't take it too well. In order to cheer him up and make him feel better, Dongwoo took him on a trip to Busan for three whole days, taking care of all the expenses.Sungjong wishes his friend would consider him more than a younger friend that needs comfort.





	Rating T, Journey

Sungjong woke up to the soft rumble of the engine, which had been lulling him in his sleep for hours now. It had been a long journey and in the end he had fallen asleep, despite his promise to Dongwoo to never fall asleep no matter what and keep him company along the way.

The older man was still driving. Sungjong blinked a couple more times, still sleepy and too lazy and comfortable in his position to move just yet.

In front of them, the scenery moved fast around the road they were driving on. The night was still shiny with stars, the full moon rising in front of their eyes.

“It's early. Go back to sleep.”

Sungjong moaned, not compliant to the idea of Dongwoo driving for so much time all by himself.

“You have to sleep. Let me take the wheel.”

“No. You should sleep, you already drove a lot these days.”

“Let's just stop somewhere and sleep then. You shouldn't tire yourself like this.”

Dongwoo let out a dry laugh, so unlike him. “You will be late if we lose any more time.”

Sungjong hummed, as if that was his exact plan. “I will make it. Don't worry about me,” he said instead. “Find a hotel or something and let's go to sleep. You shouldn't drive for so long, I tell you. Plus I start to feel cold.”

“Cold?” Dongwoo's voice took on a more worried tone as he put his hand on the dashboard and searched for the button of the heater. “Is it very cold? Do you want another blanket?”

“I want you as a blanket.”

Then Sungjong couldn’t hold back a yawn despite himself. Dongwoo said something he didn’t quite catch.

“What?”

“I said that we can stop for few minutes in the parking lot of the next gas station or pull over, because I don’t think there’s any place where we can book a room here.”

“Dongwoo.” Sungjong glanced at him, his big, round eyes wide open. “I didn’t let out such a big yawn. What did you _actually_ say?”

Instead of answering, the man just laughed.

“Come on, tell me.”

“I said that you’re a pervert. We’re not even a couple.”

Sungjong pouted and turned to the window. “I don’t know why you’re playing so hard to get. You said that you like me.”

“It’s not that kind of ‘like’.”

“When I came out to my parents and you consoled, you said that there’s nothing wrong with me.”

“Why, can’t I tell my friends that what they feel is not wrong and that homophobic parents can go fuck themselves? I mean, uh,” Dongwoo seemed to trip on his words for a moment. Sungjong snorted. “No offense to your parents, but they have been awful. Well, this is offensive to say of course, but you got it. And no offense to you, but I don’t need to be in love with you to think that you deserve love from your family, regardless of who are you attracted to.”

Sungjong felt the slightest hint of pain in his chest. Taking in a breath after hearing those words was painful, the air cold in his lungs. “You took me on this journey. Three whole days in Busan together. ‘To soothe your pain and walk by the sea’, you said. You paid everything for both of us.”

Dongwoo stayed quiet for so long, Sungjong thought he didn’t really have an answer for that, and felt victorious for few, precious seconds. Then Dongwoo’s low voice echoed in the car.

“I don’t want you to spend the money of people who don’t accept you, that’s it. Besides, anyone else would have done the same for a friend. After this trip you’ll feel a little bit better, going back to your life.”

Sungjong groaned, covering his eyes with the forearm. He didn’t want to go back to his life. He wished that journey with Dongwoo lasted forever: just the two of them, a desert road, a bunch of snacks on the backseats, and the memories of the both of them splashing their feet in the sea, salt and sand dirtying their calves despite the autumn wind.

“Do you really not think about me, ever?” Sungjong murmured quietly after a long while.

“I think about you all the time, Jjongie. I care about you, and want you to be happy. I just… can’t give you that kind of happiness.” The softness in Dongwoo’s voice made it hurt more.

Sungjong couldn’t believe he had the luck to have one of the best people in existence right next to himself. He couldn’t believe he had to be so unfortunate to not be the one for Dongwoo, but it was a pain Sungjong could easily bear as long as they would stay best friends forever. After all, he couldn’t really get angry at Dongwoo for that, could he? That would have been horribly mean of him to do. It wasn’t as if Dongwoo chose not to love him on purpose. Were feelings something one could control, Sungjong wouldn’t have found himself in that mess.

“I still think you should take a break. I can drive for a couple hours, you know,” Sungjong said.

Dongwoo smiled. “Fine. If you can count to 50 without falling asleep, I’ll let you drive the car.”

Sungjong couldn’t even count to 35.

 

When he woke up, Dongwoo was busy driving in the middle of a morning traffic jam. Sungjong blinked multiple times and looked around, a little lost.

“Hungry?” Dongwoo asked. “You are already late. I’m sorry.”

Sungjong scoffed. “Don’t be sorry. Stopping by the club before leaving was totally worth it. Besides it’s not your fault if the traffic won’t just go.”

Dongwoo smiled, but he still looked a little embarrassed. “You’ll be in trouble, though. Are you sure it’s fine?”

“I’m already in trouble for being gay, and I’m already in trouble for leaving with you although my parents told me I couldn’t. At this rate it doesn’t matter anymore.”

He turned and reached for a bag of snacks. In Busan they had gone to the grocery store and bought a bunch of snacks to eat with alcohol. Then they forgot about the snacks and just drank, so they were left with nothing to drink and lots of salty snacks still in the car. It didn’t make for a healthy breakfast, but Sungjong didn’t feel the need for anything healthy at the moment. He just wanted something to forget about his parents and his colleagues, who were all so scandalized and outraged about him just being himself.

The drive lasted for at least half an hour more before Dongwoo finally managed to arrive to his place.

...his place. Not Sungjong’s.

“Are you proposing to me? Wanna live together?” Sungjong asked lazily, although he already knew the answer.

“Since you’re already late, you should take your time,” Dongwoo said, his sharp eyes looking at his figure carefully. “We can hang out some more.”

Why did he have to be so nice to him, when he had no interest in him the way Sungjong wanted? “It would be great, but I ran away from them long enough. It won’t be easy, but I have to face them sooner or later. The sooner I do it, the sooner I’ll be over with.”

Dongwoo looked a little mortified. He probably felt angry, too, but it always seemed like that emotion didn’t belong to him nor his face. He only ever looked sad or disheartened when something bad happened. The urge to cover him in kisses was strong, but Sungjong merely put another chip in his mouth as they drove away from Dongwoo’s studio apartment, finally going to Lee family’s house.

 

“You can stop here.”

Dongwoo pulled over, close enough for Sungjong to get home without walking much, yet far enough to not be in sight of the building.

“I really needed this. It was a nice vacation.” Sungjong tried to smile, because he meant it – it was the best way his friend could have possibly cheered him up. Dongwoo had been so sweet and caring, all the time, Sungjong could forget multiple times the trouble he was in, just focusing on his wonderful friend and wandering in Busan without a worry.

Dongwoo smiled as well. “Call me if you need anything else, okay? Anytime, anything.”

Sungjong smiled, lowering his head. “I don’t know. I don’t want to burden you more than this. You did so much for me already.”

“Burden me. You should. I’m letting you.”

Sungjong was still glancing at his knees, a small idea coming through his thoughts. Could he take advantage of Dongwoo’s kindness once more, after all? Was it really okay?

“Can you kiss me?”

Sungjong looked in Dongwoo’s face again, staring into his eyes and unable to look away. He read the surprise in his features and for a moment he genuinely _feared_. That it was really too much, that he had crossed a line he shouldn’t have. His heart was shaking under his ribs, taking his breath away.

In the end, Dongwoo gave a small nod, taking off his seat belt and turning to him.

Relief, joy, sadness. Sungjong smiled bitterly, turning his chest to him and getting a little closer, extending his neck. “You’re going to get in trouble if you keep doing so many favors to everyone.”

Dongwoo got closer as well. It seemed like Sungjong being this close didn’t bother him at all. “I don’t do this kind of favor to anyone.”

Until the very last moment, even as he felt the tips of their noses brushing together, Sungjong thought that Dongwoo would give up and turn the other way, apologizing for not being able to do it all for him. He was actually ready to tell him that it wasn’t his fault, that it was fine, that he shouldn’t feel forced to kiss anyone.

Instead, Dongwoo’s plump lips met his, enveloping them in the warmest, softest kiss Sungjong could ever wish for. He had Dongwoo’s awful morning breath in his mouth and it felt wonderful.

After the first moment, Sungjong prepared himself to have Dongwoo pull away at any moment, because he had just asked for a kiss. Nothing like that happened; Dongwoo put his hand on his cheek instead, his thumb caressing his skin and his fingertips deep in his hair, and moved his mouth against his, tasting him, not pulling away even though Sungjong had been eating snacks for breakfast and hadn’t washed his teeth yet.

Sungjong let out a small whimper and put an arm behind Dongwoo’s back, grabbing his neck to keep him close as he kissed him more. He kept seeing him pulling away at any moment in his mind, which made his kiss even more anxious and needy, yet Dongwoo indulged him every second more by just not leaving his lips, sucking on them lightly, even giving them light licks with the tip of his tongue. Sungjong loved him for being so loving and caring, yet hated him for seeming to enjoy that kiss so much, even though he didn’t love him the way he really wanted. And hated himself, of course: himself and his stupid heart for fluttering this much, filled with joy at that touch he had yearned for so long.

The loud banging of someone’s fist on the windshield made them jump and immediately break both the kiss and the hug, startled. Sungjong hadn’t ever been that unhappy to see his mother.

“Get away from my son!” she was screeching right outside of the car. She probably hated her son kissing a guy in a car not too far from their house than being heard by the neighbors.

Sungjong looked at Dongwoo in panic. “Just go.”

“Huh?”

“Just go, as soon as I get out of the car. Keep my stuff for now, I’ll get it back some other time.”

“But-”

“ _Please_.” Sungjong smiled. “If she can put her hands on you, she might hit you, even when you did nothing wrong.”

The banging on the windscreen got louder. Sungjong frowned at the glass, hoping it wouldn’t break because of that.

“You did nothing wrong, either,” Dongwoo murmured, but still put his seat belt back on. “I’ll come get you, you just need to call me.”

Even after they kissed. Even after going to Busan for days. Dongwoo was still willing to have Sungjong with him and take care of him, despite everything he had already done.

“Thank you.” Sungjong said. “Now go, quick.”

He unlocked the door and got out, closing it fast and standing in front of the handle so that his mother couldn’t grab it.

The woman didn’t take her time before slapping him hard. “You really have no shame! How dare you!” she hissed in his face. “You’ll have to give us a good explanation for this- hey! Where do you think you’re going?!”

As Sungjong had told him, Dongwoo got away fast, his car quickly turning around the corner and vanishing from their sight.

“Good riddance,” the woman said, grabbing Sungjong’s wrist. “You’re not seeing that guy ever again. I always told you I didn’t like him, now look at this! He turned my son in a pervert.”

Sungjong felt the tears falling from his eyes, but he didn’t say a word. He walked behind his mother in silence, following her steps meekly, as he wished he was still dipping his feet in the sea of Busan, next to the man he loved.

**Author's Note:**

> My hands slipped and I came up with another Dongjong! The prompts for Day 12 were "Rating Yellow" and "Journey". Thanks to Fanwriter.it for the prompts as usual.  
> Funnily enough, this was supposed to be a BTS Minjoon fanfic, but then my brain went "dongjong" and I couldn't find a good reason to refuse. So here I am.
> 
> I have the urge to write a happy sequel for this oneshot, but I have bigger and different projects in the works, so that isn't going to happen. I'm very sorry.  
> In case you didn't notice, I can't write kisses. I actually can't write much when it comes to physical intimacy in general! I guess that's the reason why I can't write smut as well. Let me know if you have any tips for that.
> 
> Thank you a lot for reading, see you next time!
> 
>  
> 
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/ChestnutJinx)  
> [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.me/ChestnutJinx)


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